Sole press



` 1969 H. E. MARASCO 3,475,776

SOLE PRESS Filed Dec. 21. 1967 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,475,776 SOLE PRESS Harold E. Marasco, Beverly, Mass., assignor to Marasco Shoe Machinery Company, Lynn, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 692,387 Int. Cl. A43d 89/00 U.S. Cl. 12-36.8 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A turret sole press having relatively adjustable toe and heel end pressing cylinders with fluid pressure connections to each cylinders and valves admitting full pressure promptly to the heel and cylinder and less pressure thereafter to the toe end cylinder.

This invention relates in general to sole pressing machines and particularly to presses of the turret type for conforming and attaching soles to the bottoms of lasted shoes by fluid pressure. In my prior United States Letters Patent 2,813,282 Nov. 19, 1957, there is described a sole press to which the present invention may be applied as an important improvement, although the invention is by no means limited to the sole press of that patent.

An object of the invention is to improve sole presses of that type in respect to convenience in presenting thereto the sole and lasted upper for the sole laying operation and removing the shoe with its attached sole. By the present invention presses of this type are adapted also for handling shoes of delicate leather and shoes of a wide variety of sizes.

It has been found that a new series of steps in the cycle of the press accomplish these and other advantages. My improved press is constructed and arranged to subject the heel end of the shoe and sole :to prompt initial pressure so that the pad applies a forwardly rollng pressure bringing the sole progressively into adhesve contact with the shoe bottom. Meanwhle at a slower rate pressure is applied to the forepart and toe of the sole thus completing its attachment.

The desired results are accomplished by separate fluid connections to the heel and toe post pressure cylinders which include a pressure reducing valve in line with the toe post that by-passes connections to the heel post.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimert thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of one station of the turret press showing certain parts in longitudinal section, and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

The frame of the press is designed to support a rotary turret in which is incorporated a fluid pressure reservoir in the shape of a vertcally disposed cylinder rotatably supported in the'frame. The turret may carry any desired number of press units of which one only is shown in the drawngs. The cylinder 10 carries 11 and has a radially projecting bracket 12 to which is Secured in an inclined position a pad box 13 carrying a flexible pad 14 and back gauge 15, herein shown as in contact with the heel of a lasted shoe. A fluid pressure tube 16 connects the pad box 13 with the source of fluid pressure supplied by the cylinder 10 of the turret. Fluid pressure is admitted to the pad box and released therefrom 3,475,776 Patented Nov. 4, 196 9 -by the operation of a valve 17 in the connecting tube 16. The valve is operated by carns, not shown, in the rotation of the turret.

The turret also carries an overhead arm 20 formed to present a guideway for a slide 21. The slide carries a looking head 23 containing a spring bolt which is arranged to interlock with any one of a series of holes 22 in the overhaed arm thereby fixing the slide 21 in any desired position of longitudinal adjustment.

The slide 21 carries a toe end cylinder 24 arranged to operate a toe pad 25 and having fluid pressure connections which include a flexible tube 26 and a reducing valve 27. The tube 26 is led to a T 28 connected through a pipe 29 and valve 30 to a passage 31 formed in the solid part of the turret itself. This passage is connected at its lower end through a tube 32 and valve 33 to the source of fluid pressure within the cylinder 10.

The overhead arm 20 carries also a heel end cylinder 40 arranged to operate a pivoted heel pad 41 and being connected through a pipe 42 to the T 28 already described as located in the fluid pressure system.

In Operating the press a loose sole is placed upon the pad 14 and a lasted shoe located in gauged position above it by the back gauge 15. In the revolution of the turret the valves 17 and 33 are operated and fluid pressure is admitted to the pad box and to the heel end cylinder 40 so that the heel end of the sole and shoe are subjected to prompt and substantial pressure. Meanwhile fluid pressure is admitted to the toe end cylinder 24 through the reducing valve 27 so that the toe pad is advanced at a slower rate. At the same time the forwardly rollng pressure of the inflated pad 14 completes contact of the sole and the shoe bottom, the toe pad 25 being advanced at a slower rate and at less pressure on account of the reducing valve 27.

On further rotation of the turret the valves 16 and 33 are operated to release the fluid pressure of the pad 14 and then the pressure of the heel pad 41 and the toe pad 25 so that these elements are retracted clearing the way for removal of the shoe with its attached sole.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A sole press having a pad box with fluid pressure connections and an inflatable pad for supporting a sole, an overhead arm carrying separate cylinders located respectviely opposite to the toe and heel ends of the pad box separate fluid connections to each cylinder, a source of fluid pressure, and connections including a reducing valve for supplying pressure from said source simultaneously to said cylinders at a slower rate to the toe end cylinder than to the heel end cylinder, thereby subjecting the heel end of the sole initially to greater pressure than the toe end of the sole and thus inducing a rollng pressure of the nflated pad against an interposed sole.

2. A sole press as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the press has, as a part of its means for supplying pressure to the cylinders, fluid pressure connec'tions to the toe end cylinder that include a pressure reducing valve which is by-passed by the fluid connections to the heel end cylinder.

3. A sole press as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the press includes a rotatable turret enclosing a source of fluid pressure and containing in a wall thereof a fluid pressure passage having external connections to the said toe and heel end cylinders.

4. A sole press as described in claim 1, further characterized in that the toe and heel end cylinders are mounted for relative adjustrnent longitudinally with respect to the pad box.

5. A sole press as described in claim 1, further char- References Cited acterzed in that the pad box has independent fluid pressure connections, and that the toe end cylnder is mounted UNITED STATES PATENTS for bodily adjustment longitudnally with respect to the 2,444331 5 1943 Brauner 12.33 pad box and has fluid pressure connectons including 5 2313332 11 1957 Marasco 12.353 a flexible tube permttng such adjustment. 2374592 2 1959 Campione 12 35 6. A sole press as described in claim 1, further char- 3,2o1 311 8 1955 Marasco 12 33 acterized in that the toe end cylinder is mounted for adjustment toward and from the heel and cylinder and PATRICK D. LAWSON, Prmarv Examine carries with it in such adjusting movement a pressure 10 reducng valve.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,475 ,776 November 4 1969 Harold E. Marasco It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

--. Column Column 1, line 62, before "11" insert a Ca line 8 "overhaed" should read overhead line 47 after "box" insert a comma. Column 3 line 9 "heel and" should read heel end Signed and sealed this 19th day of May l970 (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletche', Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

